Pondicherry- The Silent Beauty of Southern India

Pondicherry, better known as Puducherry in the local language, is a small town situated 162 km away from Chennai. Pondicherry creates magic by carrying a legacy of cultural history with it.

Pondicherry affectionately called ‘Pondi,’ boasts of having not only French but also Portuguese and Danish influence, given that they once came to India for trading and ultimately colonised these regions.One can experience a larger influence of the French in almost everything, right from culinary and architecture to lifestyle.

Pondicherry is well connected to other South Indian cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and one can reach Pondicherry by road, air and train as well.

From ashrams,backwaters, various temples and mosques, Pondicherry offers a plethora of options for tourists to experience the serenity of this place in various forms.

Tamil is the widely spoken language, people also speak Telugu or French. Apart from the normal South Indian cuisine, one can also taste various French cuisines, as well as indulge in some tasty biryani.One can choose from budget hotels, resorts and luxury spas with good hospitality.

Some of the famous tourist attractions are:

Aurobindo Ashram

A trip to Pondicherry is incomplete without a visit to this ashram. It was started by Shri Aurobindo Ghosh, who was a famous philosopher and a freedom fighter. He came to Pondicherry after the freedom struggle, later turned spiritual and started this ashram.

Tourists throng this place to meditate, to see the influence in culmination of yoga and science and attain peace of mind. It also has a mini museum, where one can get information about the life of Aurobindo.

French Quarter

The French Quarter is a series of roughly assembled buildings mostly painted in white and yellow. A walk down in these streets is a good way to start or end the day. From the French Consulate in the north, to the Raj Nivas in the south,the architecture of these buildings have been influenced by the French.

Le Cafe

Le Cafe serves baked items as well as some of the best coffees. Located near the beach,it oversees the Bay of Bengal and provides a scenic view.It is also a fantastic meeting point and a shopper’s paradise. Tourists would enjoy the food and go back home with some memorabilia.

There are various places to visit in Pondicherry and one would need a minimum of three days to have a look at all of them.